I finally did it and it was awesome, but I still need help. I finally gathered enough of the materials to bring a razor back from the dead and then shave with it. I purchased an old razor called a "Superior Razor Company" from Germany. I honed out all of the nicks and created a good edge with my grandfathers old hone (I don't know what it is). I purchased an old barbers hone called a "Honwell" and used that along with/in combination with my new strop (that I made) and my own flat bed hone system with pastes. I purchased the leather from Hand American along with the green and black diamond paste that they sell. I made a hanging strop and two flat hones out of the other piece of leather. I sharpened the blade up and was popping hairs with the HHT and shaving my arm like crazy. I finally shaved with it and it was awesome. Don't get me wrong, the shave itself sucked but the act of doing it was awesome. Right up there with all of the other great highs in life.

Problem is I had a days growth on my face and the dang thing just did not cut as I expected it would. I have a tough beard and as I made my strokes I felt that the razor was actually being almost stopped by the whiskers. Oh, for the prep...I showered and then put on my pants. There was no way I was going to a la nude on my first go around. I then lathered and hot toweled. Lather again and then 30 rounds on my new strop. Touch up the lather and went to work on it. I went downward on the first pass and up on the second. I skipped a large portion of my chin area and then cleaned up with a DE. No cuts or nicks and actually very little irration (at least less than usual). I guess my main question about all of this is the basic newbie question of "is it sharp enough"? I don't know the actual blade that I used is not very big, I'm not sure of the size, but it is smaller. Should I try shaving everyday with it instead of skipping a day so there is not as much whiskers? Send it out for honing, buy a shave ready, or what? I don't know for sure. So here I am needing some advice...

Thanks in advance,
Pary